Dade County
Investigator Don Hicks reported early Monday morning that a manhunt for a Dade
County man who had escaped from Hutcheson Medical Center was underway.
Authorities from Dade and Walker counties and Fort Oglethorpe Police Department
were searching for him in the Fort Oglethorpe area.

Joshua Lee
Bradford, 28, was arrested Sunday afternoon after an incident on Sand Mountain.
Bradford was arrested during a traffic stop on Hales Gap Road and charged with
making terroristic threats, criminal trespass, damage to property and
discharging of a firearm.

Bradford was
taken to the Dade County jail and later stated that he had taken a large amount
of hydrocodone and other drugs before he was taken into custody. He was then
transported with a Dade County detention officer by ambulance to Hutcheson
Medical Center.

Upon arriving
at Hutcheson Medical Center Bradford overpowered the detention officer and fled
into the woods at the hospital.

Deputies found
Bradford’s jail-issued shoes late Monday morning and were using K-9 units to
help with the search.